Portfolio
A few examples
of business sites, publishing imprint sites, and book-feature sites I've created
and maintained, listed here to illustrate various interactive tools and promotional
services. Unless noted, I created all HTML and graphics. Click on the screen
shots to connect to the sites themselves. For quotes on my work, see the references
page.
BOILING
POINT: www.boiling-point.com
BOILING POINT is a consulting company specializing in organizing and facilitating
problem-solving and idea-generation workshops for major businesses. Besides
building their Web site, I have led the development of new online tools they
are incorporating into their facilitation offerings. Building the Web site from
the ground up enabled and led to a major extension of the company's product
offerings into the online medium. BOILING POINT's clients include American Express,
Pepsi-Cola, AT&T, Nabisco, Lucent Technologies, Fisher-Price, Frito-Lay, BestFoods,
Helene Curtis, International Paper, and Taco Bell.
Extremely focused and clear
presentation of BOILING POINT's promise and methods to contrast company with
its competitors
- Took company from no Web
presence to complete Web site and functioning online-product offering in two
months
- Much of the text of the
site was heavily edited, revised, or drafted by me based on discussions with
the company
- Client area for online
forums and online workshop extensions (private and password-protected)
- Contact forms with user-settable
urgency ratings
Del Rey Books:
www.randomhouse.com/delrey/
A well-established and extremely deep site for a science-fiction and fantasy
imprint. Since we knew SF/F fans were very likely to be online, Del Rey put
considerable time and effort into this site and its upkeep. (Main page graphics
created by designer; all feature promotions created by myself except The
Crow. Monthly maintenance now done by others.)
- Monthly newsletter (various versions delivered to over 33,000 readers via
e-mail, plus newsgroup and Web site readers)
- Feature promotions on release of hardcovers and some trade paperbacks, many
with accompanying site campaigns
- Heavy use of sample chapters and excerpts
- Reader review programs
- Extensive list of author sites, fan sites for various authors, SF/F resources
- Detailed Frequently Asked Questions list and e-mail query form
The Ballantine Publishing Group
An information-rich site with increasing depth of content for Ballantine, a
publisher with a wide-ranging list. Genre areas have their own look; specific
lines of books have their own areas; specific audiences, such as secondary teachers,
have their own targeted areas as well. (Main site architecture, HTML, and graphics
created by myself; redesigned since then by others).
- Feature promotions on release of hardcovers and some trade paperbacks, some
with accompanying site campaigns
- Simple, attractive navigation
- Tight integration with Books@Random online catalog for excerpts and cover
images
- Special areas for romance readers, secondary teachers, mystery readers
- Various newsletters for different readerships
- Detailed Frequently Asked Questions list and e-mail query form
The Del Rey Online Writing Workshop:
This was a project designed to increase traffic to the main Del Rey site, increase
traffic overall, and create positive word-of-mouth for the Del Rey Books imprint.
A peer-reviewed online writing workshop where SF/F writers could submit chapters
or short stories, review and rate the work of others, and discuss the craft
of writing and SF/F writing in specific with other workshop members. More popular
than Del Rey expected--over 8,000 members.
- First example of the community peer-review/annotation environment. Allows
an unlimited number of users to critique each others' work. Displays submissions
according to various criteria
- Requires membership and log-in at beginning of each session; non-members
may not participate. Demographic data can be requested of members when joining
- Monthly "Editor's Choice" selections in each submission category
- Ancillary content: advice and tips for new writers from authors and editors;
SF/F writing resources; monthly newsletter
- Associated mailing list for discussion among members and Del Rey staff
I
Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action: www.randomhouse.com/iamjackiechan/
A feature promotion for an autobiography, with a variety of interactive pieces.
(Navigation graphics created by designer.)
- Quiz contest based on content of feature promotion, created, displayed,
and managed by the QuizMaker tool
- "Match the Jackies," a "Concentration"-style memory game created with the
memory game tool
- Very successful fan-site campaign to bring news of the book to Jackie Chan
fans. Selected fan sites (listed in the "More about Jackie Chan" area of the
site) linked to the site via a book banner or a text link, and some added
an entire mini-promotion about the book.
- Use of excerpts in easy-to-digest "top ten" format
The
Silver Wolf feature promotion for Del Rey Books: www.randomhouse.com/silverwolf/
A feature promotion for the first book in a new dark historical fantasy series.
Because Del Rey was promoting this book heavily, the site went online in advance
of publication and included some special pre-publication features.
- In advance of publication, the feature offered a reminder e-mail service
to site visitors who wanted to be told when the book was available in stores
- In advance of publication, reader reviews were solicited via the site and
Del Rey's newsletter, and were added to the site as they were sent to Del
Rey by e-mail around the time of publication
- A quiz contest with two stages: prizes were awarded for the first three
weeks, and then a winning entry (submitted via online form) gets the winner's
name added to the feature's winner page
- Uses art elements from book cover to create a feature with a look and feel
reminiscent of the book's setting
Star Wars site area for Del Rey Books: www.randomhouse.com/delrey/starwars/
An area of the Del Rey site devoted to Star Wars books old and new. (Since
redesigned.)
- Changing news and featured books
- Star-Wars related articles drawn from other parts of the Del Rey site
- Many excerpts and sample chapters
- Created and maintained with step-by-step approval from Lucasfilm